Messages posted by: bluey

Hello Pete,

Of course I will be more than happy to provide you with whatever information you need but unfortunately I can't access your email address via this forum. Alan Orton has my email details and I wonder if you could get them from him and send me a message direct.

Regards,

Bluey

Nick,
For the sake of complete accuracy would you mind adding 1st SAS before SRS against my father's name.

Many thanks,

Bluey

Hello Nick,

His parent regiment was The Royal Sussex and his number was 6397316

Regards,

Bluey

Can you please add my father Sgt E.E.W. Goldsmith MM (known as "Joe" ) to the Nominal Roll for 8 Commando.

Thank you Pete. The article made interesting reading with certain parts corresponding well with what my father had told me. I'm still mystified however as to why at that time there was thought to be a need for desert commandos to have mountain training, although for some like my father it certainly held them in good stead for some of the later operations carried out by the SRS.

Regards, Bluey

My father's name was "Joe" Goldsmith and he was with No 8 Commando (B Battalion) until September 1941 when he joined the Middle East Commandos (No 6 Troop I believe) before ending up with 1st SAS. So far as the photo is concerned, I will find it and attach a copy.

My father went to Syria with the ME Commandos to carry out mountain warfare training between April and September 1942 prior to him joining the 1st SAS. Is there any further information available on this deployment?

My father took part in two operations in Libya in April and May 1941. The first was a raid on the coast road near Bomba which lay between Tobruck and Derna where there was an important seaplane base and the second, involving a 100 men from B Battalion, was a raid on the airfield at Gazala using the gunboat Aphis. I can find neither of these operations recorded on this forum site and wondered why.

I have a photo of my father with a number of other commandos drinking tea with what I think are members of the Arab Legion in the North African desert in 1941/42. Most of the commandos are wearing Tam o Shanters. Was this the normal dress code or does it signify anything else?